両

See also: 兩 and 两

両	U+4E21, 両 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E21

← 丠
[U+4E20]

CJK Unified Ideographs

丢 →
[U+4E22]

Translingual

Traditional	兩
Shinjitai	両
Simplified	两

Han character

両 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+5, 6 strokes, cangjie input 一山月 (MUB), four-corner 1022₇, composition ⿱一⿻冂山 or ⿻⿱一山冂 or ⿻山⿱一冂)

Derived characters

𠈓, 輌

References

KangXi: not present, would follow page 78, character 10

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 46

Dae Jaweon: page 157, character 7

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 19, character 1

Unihan data for U+4E21

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of 両 – see 兩 (“two; two; etc.”). (This character, 両, is the draft (1955) first-round simplified and variant form of 兩.)
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Shinjitai	両
Kyūjitai	兩

Kanji

両

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 兩)

both
old Japanese coin
two
counter for carriages

Readings

From Middle Chinese 兩 (MC lɨɐŋ^X); compare Mandarin 兩 (liǎng):

Go-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)^{←りやう (ryau, historical)}
Kan-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)^{←りやう (ryau, historical)}
Tō-on: りゃん (ryan)

From Middle Chinese 兩 (MC lɨɐŋ^H); compare Mandarin 兩 (liàng):

Go-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)^{←りやう (ryau, historical)}
Kan-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)^{←りやう (ryau, historical)}
Tō-on: りゃん (ryan)

From native Japanese roots:

Kun: ころ (koro, 両); ふたたび (futatabi, 両び); ふたつ (futatsu, 両つ); もろ (moro, 両)
Nanori: ふた (futa); ふる (furu); もろ (moro)

Compounds

一両
両々, 両両
両三
両人
両便
両側
両像
両党
両全
両凸
両刀
両刃
両分
両切り
両前
両口
両名
両国
両天秤
両家
両岸
両差し
両度
両建て
両得
両思い
両性
両性説
両成敗
両手
両損
両断
両方
両日
両替
両棲
両極
両様
両氏
両洋
両生
両用
両目
両眼
両社
両種
両立
両端
両義
両翼
両者
両耳
両肌, 両膚
両肘
両脇
両脚
両腕
両膝
両舌
両舷
両蓋
両虎
両袖
両親
両論
両足
両軍
両輪
両部神道
両開き
両陛下
両院
両隣
両雄
両面
両頭
十両
千両
硬軟両派
車両
進退両難

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
両
りょう Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
兩 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 兩 (MC lɨɐŋ^X, “two, both”).

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Goon

(Tokyo) りょー [ryóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [ɾʲo̞ː]

This pitch accent only applies when this is used as a standalone noun.

Noun

両(りょう) • (ryō) ^{←りやう (ryau)^?}

the both of something
両(りょう)の手(て)で
ryō no te de
with both hands
a traditional unit of currency

Prefix

両(りょう) • (ryō-) ^{←りやう (ryau)^?}

both

Derived terms

両(りょう)足(あし) (ryōashi)
両(りょう)腕(うで) (ryōude)
両(りょう)側(がわ) (ryōgawa)
両(りょう)利(き)き (ryōkiki)
両(りょう)手(て) (ryōte)
両(りょう)隣(どなり) (ryōdonari)
両(りょう)耳(みみ) (ryōmimi)
両(りょう)目(め) (ryōme)
両(りょう)親(しん) (ryōshin)
両(りょう)極(きょく) (ryōkyoku)
両(りょう)替(がえ) (ryōgae)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
両
ころ Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
兩 (kyūjitai)

From Old Japanese. Possibly related to root koro in reference to rolling, as in 転ぶ (korobu, “to tumble, to fall; to roll”), ころころ (korokoro, “rollingly”).

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

IPA^(key): [ko̞ɾo̞]

Counter

両(ころ) • (-koro)

(obsolete) a traditional unit of weight, roughly equivalent to 37.5 grams

Usage notes

The koro reading appears to be obsolete, superseded by ryō above.

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
両
りょう Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spellings
兩 (kyūjitai) 輛輌

Probably from Middle Chinese 輛 (MC lɨɐŋ^H?, “counter for vehicles”).

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

IPA^(key): [ɾʲo̞ː]

Counter

両(りょう) • (-ryō) ^{←りやう (ryau)^?}

a car of a train
この電(でん)車(しゃ)は六(ろく)両(りょう)編(へん)成(せい)です。
Kono densha wa rokuryō hensei desu.
This train consists of six cars.

Usage notes

Usually replaces 輛 and extended shinjitai form 輌 in modern usage.

Derived terms

車(しゃ)両(りょう) (sharyō)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN